In many work environments, particularly those that involve the operation of wheeled machines to transport goods or materials from one location to another, detecting a tire health issue on the machines is part of improving the efficiency and productivity of the work environment. Tire health issues include loss of pressure in one or more tires, and/or failure of one or more tires. For example, detecting and then remedying a tire health issue associated with a machine reduces the amount of energy that is used to move the machine and, therefore, increases the fuel efficiency of the machine. Also, detecting a tire health issue associated with a machine may allow the tire health issue to be addressed before a blowout or failure of a tire, reducing time lost to maintenance, reducing the number of tires requiring replacement, and increasing tire life of the machine. Furthermore, detecting and remedying a tire health issue may reduce stress and strain forces on machine drive train components, which may prolong drive train lifespan and reduce costs associated with premature component failure. When the tires of a machine are in a balanced condition, these components operate best and with the least amount of wear. This issue can be exacerbated when the machine is remotely or autonomously controlled.
Some factors that affect tire health include physical features of the machine or its constituent components, the surface of the road or path upon which the machine is traveling, and/or characteristics of the machine/road interface. For example, tire health may depend on physical features of the machine such as the machine weight (including payload), the machine speed, and tire pressure and size; physical features of the haul road or other surface, such as road surface density, coefficient of friction, road grade; and/or characteristics of the machine/road interface such as slippage of the machine tires on the roadway surface. Thus, in an effort to improve the health, longevity, and/or efficiency of one or more tires and to increase the efficiency of the machine, a method for detecting a low tire pressure condition and alerting the operator of the machine of low tire pressure conditions may be required.
One way to determine tire health is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0267750 (the '750 publication) published on Nov. 30, 2006 to Lu et al. The '750 publication describes a system and method for controlling an automotive vehicle. The system uses various tire parameters such as a rolling radius, a vertical spring rate, and a tire rotational spring rate to determine an abnormal state of the tire. The '750 publication controls the vehicle in response to the detected abnormality. To control the vehicle, the '750 publication uses various sensors existing in the vehicle, such as a yaw signal, roll signal, and pitch signal, to determine a tire parameter. The '750 publication then uses the tire parameter, and various dynamic control systems such as antilock brakes and traction control, to control the vehicle.
Although the system of the '750 publication may determine a tire health, it may be complex and have a significant number of sensors that may increase costs. For example, the '750 publication requires the calculation and comparison of several tire parameters, such as a rolling radius, a vertical spring rate, and a tire rotational spring rate to determine a tire abnormal state. The '750 publication may use extra sensors, and perform extra calculations to determine a tire abnormal state. If conditions, such as vehicle loading, road conditions, and wind forces, have to be accounted for, they may require complex calculations and additional sensors.
The disclosed embodiments are directed to improvements in the existing technology.